Good digestion is vital to good health. Your digestive system is important because it’s where important nutrients your body needs to thrive are absorbed. Sadly, digestive problems have been on the rise ever since the food manufacturing industry learned to process foods for more bulk and longer shelf life. The modern American diet is sorely lacking in means of keeping our digestive systems working optimally. Processed foods can spike blood sugar, and they often contain little nutritional value. Additionally, today’s busy families often don’t sit down to dinner together for what used to be known as a ‘home-cooked meal.’ What often results is parents and children alike often reaching for quick foods that are ready fast and don’t provide nutrients necessary to keep the digestive tract, as well as all the other systems of the body, healthy and functioning properly. In fact, processed foods that are bad for digestion rarely are satisfying for the simple reason that they provide no value to your body, making you consume more and more of them to feel full. Following are some valuable recommendations from GI doctors in Flushing on how you can improve your digestion and begin feeling better almost instantly! For more help with your digestion contact a top GI doctor near you.
Listen to your body
Face it—we all know when we’ve eaten something we shouldn’t have, especially as we age. If eating certain foods makes you feel sluggish, constipates you, leaves you feeling gassy or bloated, don’t eat them! Or, if you just simply cannot do without them completely, limit your intake of those foods to special occasions. Additionally, be sure to drink a lot of water when you eat them, and add in a lot more healthier foods throughout the day such as produce and high-fiber foods.
Chew your food
Remember when your mom told you to chew each bite 32 times? She was right! Okay, perhaps the number 32 is a bit arbitrary, but the fact is that humans need to chew their food as thoroughly as possible in order for it to digest optimally. And—bonus—chewing your food more thoroughly is such an easy thing to do to optimize digestion! Seriously, what could be a simpler way to get on the road to living a healthier life than to just chew each bite a few more times?!
Choose healthier foods
Sure, you can indulge a little here and there, but remember that your active life depends on the foods you eat to keep it operating smoothly. If you’re not already eating healthy, start by replacing just one unhealthy food every day with a healthier, more nutrient-rich food that will aid your digestion. These foods include berries, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, and greens. Another great way to eat a healthier diet is to add smoothies into your regular routine. The great thing about smoothies is that you can make them taste however you like! Important note: Because fruit digests quickly, always try to eat fruit first, especially before proteins. Proteins take a long time to digest, which means fruits that you eat with them can get trapped in the stomach and rot before they ever do you any nutritional good.
Get up and go
If you want to ‘go,’ get up and go! Exercise is another vital component to good digestion because it uses gravity to move foods through the digestive tract, getting their nutrients where they need to be and getting their toxins out of your body. Hey, they don’t call it a ‘bowel movement’ for nothing!
Processed foods, busy schedules, and that all-too-easily-obtained fast food—a recipe for disaster when it comes to your digestion. If this sounds like your situation, it’s time to work on improving your digestion and getting healthier. If you don’t do it now, you’re bound for digestive problems that will not only make you feel sluggish and slow you down; they can also lead to myriad other health problems and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Everyone wants to feel healthy and energetic, but if your digestive system isn’t working the way it should, your body could be filling with toxins that can end up causing serious health problems. Follow some of these tips from GI doctors in Flushing that will help you get your digestive tract working optimally again. For more information, consult with a GI doctor near you.
